Festival of Trees draws crowds to decorations

DOVER ­— Walking into the 3rd annual Festival of Trees on Friday night was like walking into a winter wonderland.

The scene started setting itself up outside of City Hall, with Christmas decorations and the City's mounted patrol greeting a large crowd, anxious to get inside and see over 30 trees decorated by local businesses.

Inside, Dover High School, Parish of Assumption and St. Thomas Aquinas High School sung Christmas carols during a live choral performance, which also helped guide people up to the second floor.

Help was not needed, though, as the crowd could smell the trees from City Hall's lobby. The scent itself was so powerful, capturing senses and getting people right into the holiday spirit.

The event was expected to bring in over 2,000 attendees from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. who would walk through and view the trees, some with coupons and gift cards on their branches, bid on ones they wished to take home and also participate in the evening's scavenger hunt and raffles.

Even early into the event, people were bidding on trees. Each tree started at $50 and were expected to be sold for upward of a couple hundred dollars.

Brendan Markey, Vice President and Branch Manager of the new Kennebunk Savings Bank on Central Avenue that opened on Black Friday, said the event, which they underwrote, was a perfect welcoming to the city. Their tree was themed, “Hello, Dover,” with gift cards to local restaurants and stores.

“The idea behind our tree was, obviously we are brand new in Dover, we wanted to introduce local merchants,” he said. “There are over $900 in gift cards on the tree that we are giving away. A local business, Sweet Meadows, decorated the tree for us since I'm not that artistic.”

Markey said the trees were given to each business through the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, who organized the event along with the City Lights Committee.

“A majority of the money made tonight goes toward the lighting downtown,” said Sarah Terry, who works for the Children's Museum of New Hampshire.

Their tree was decorated with ornaments made by children and volunteers at the museum and had six guest passes dangling on it that could be used for free entry to the museum.

The tree worth the most money came from the Salon @ 903 Central, whose tree included dozens of free haircuts, colors, manicures and tanning packages. The tree was worth $1,018.

Another tree drawing a lot of attention was not up for auction, but was raffled off. This tree, known as the Restaurant Tree, included gift cards from Blue Latitude's, Asia of Dover, Cartelli's Bar and Grill, Kelley's Row, Central Wave, Fury's Publick House, Harvey's Bakery and Coffee Shop, The Farm Bar and Grille, Orchard Street Chop Shop, LaFesta Brick and Brew and the Spaghetti Stain. Each raffle ticket was on sale for $1.

Aside from bidding on trees, families also spent time searching for 10 donkeys for the Festival of Trees Scavenger Hunt. Those who found each donkey, would be entered into a drawing to win a gift basket from Nicole's Hallmark, Boston Celtics tickets from Primary Residential Mortgage or a floral display from Sweet Meadows.

Wondering how the trees got home at the end of the night? Those who were not brave enough to take them home on their own were offered to get the trees delivered to their homes on Saturday morning by Calling All Cargo for $30.